Knapsacks



Dec. 7, 1965 w. SOUTHWICK KNAPSACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 5, 1965 INVENTOR EARL W. SOUTHWICK ATTORNEYS Dec. 7, 1965 E. w. SOUTHWICK 3,221,959

KNAPSACKS Filed June 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EARL W. SOUTHWICK ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,221,959 KNAPSACKS Earl W. Southwick, 170 N. Harrison Blvd., Ogden, Utah Filed June 3, 1963, Ser. No. 285,000 7 Claims. (Cl. 224-8) The present invention relates to knapsacks, packsacks and the like and, in particular, to knapsacks which are adapted to be attached to other backpacks.

The development of knapsacks and similar items has, of course, always been associated with the ideas or theories of easing the transportation of heavy loads carried on the back. There have been many back carrying devices in the art that prevent pressure on certain bones and muscles areas and, instead, spread the pressure evenly over all of the back muscles thus enabling a heavy pack to be more suitably carried for longer periods of time. There have been other devices developed which permit better ventilation of the back muscles; some have been produced with solid frames to prevent shifting of the loads. It would appear, therefore, that the art is replete with various types of knapsacks and the like; how ever, the art also indicates that there has been a considerable lag in the development of knapsacks which are adapted to be attached to other devices already carried on the back.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a knapsack capable of being attached to other shoulder and back supported carrying devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knapsack with easily accessible interiors.

Still another object is to provide a knapsack capable of holding a bedroll in place.

Additional objects will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the knapsack as shown from the back;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the knapsack as shown from the side; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the knapsack as shown from the front.

As illustrated, the knapsack according to this invention is constructed of a heavy durable material such as canvas and is rectangular in shape when viewed from the back or side and presents a rounded shape having a hollow center when viewed from the top. The hollow portion may have a bedroll inserted therein if desired. A pocket is mounted on each side of the knapsack which, in turn, has two openings extending from top to bottom and located just to the back of each of the two aforesaid pockets which provide a convenient entrance into the knapsack. The sack is adapted to be carried on other backpacks by a series of straps mounted at the top, center and bottom of the back.

Specifically, the bag 10 comprises the paired external sides 12 and 13 and the internal sides 14 and 15. The external and internal sides are joined from top to bottom at both their front and rear edges or terminations indicated as 17 and 19, respectively. The external sides 12 and 13 have been preferably designed so as to fold over at both the top 21 and bottom 23 of the knapsack and are then continued as the internal sides 14 and 15. If desired, however, the top 21 and bottom 23 portions of the knapsack can be separate panels sewed onto both the external and internal sides. It can now be seen that the knapsack indicated as 10, is in effect composed of two separate sacks 25 and 27 both of which are connected at their back edges 19 by the reinforced strip of flexible material 26 such as canvas and the like. The sacks 25 and 27 terminate to the front in the edges 28 and 30 both of which contain a series of paired eyelets indicated Patented Dec. 7,1965

as 32. When worn, the front edges of the knapsack are held together by lacing the strap 34 through the series of eyelets indicated as 32. It will be noted, that when the knapsack is so worn and laced, it will contain a hollow center. However, this configuration has been provided to allow a bedroll to be inserted in the hollow portion, if desired, thus providing a novel manner of carrying same.

Both of the external sides have pockets 16 and 18 mounted thereon and are accessible by means of the zippers 20 and 22 or other similar means. On each of the two paired external sides 12 and 13 just to the back of the pockets mounted thereon, two openings extend from the top of the pack to the bottom and are closed by the zippers 24 or by some other similar means thus providing an easy entrance into the knapsack whereby the desired materials may be inserted.

The knapsack of this invention is adapted to be attached to various kinds of backsacks; however, the sack is preferably of the type which is attached to the Pak Rat type of backpack. In accordance therewith, strap 34 mounted at the top of the sack 0n the back thereof contains the eyelets 36 and 37 at each end, which are provided to permit attachment to the special top structure in the Pak Rat backpack. Straps 40a and b, and 42a and b, are also all mounted on the back of the pack and are particularly suited for attachment to the specific back pack set forth above.

It is evident from the foregoing description that in use the knapsack is attached to the desired backpack by straps 34, 40a and b, and 42a and b. The bedroll is placed between the two internal sides 14 and 15, and then the two sides are drawn together so that the front edges 28 and 30 in close proximity with the sides adhereing closely to the bedroll. The strap 34 is then eased through the eyelets 32 thus providing a neat, compact and novel knapsack.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the construction and arrangement of portions may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible knapsack devoid of a rigid framework and adapted to be attached to shoulder worn substantially rigid backpacks comprising, two pairs of internal and external sides joined lengthwise at their front and rear edges, the external sides folded over at the top and bottom of the knapsack and thence connected to the internal sides thus forming two separate sacks joined at their rear edges and both sacks terminating in a front edge containing a multiude of eyelets, said sacks each having a closable opening therein, a thong for lacing through the eyelets in the front edges of the said sacks in order to secure the front edges of the two sacks stationary one with respect to the other when loaded while permitting relative movement between the front and rear edges thereof and also to force the two sacks in close adherence to a bedroll when carried therebetween and a plurality of straps secured on the back of the knapsack for attaching to a suitably rigid backpack.

2. A knapsack as claimed in claim 1 wherein the external sides each have a pocket mounted thereon approximately midway between the top and bottom end near the front edges of the said external sides.

3. A knapsack as claimed in claim 2 wherein the plurality of straps on the back of the said knapsack comprise a top strap having eyelets in each end thereof, a middle strap and a bottom strap all of which are adapted to attach the knapsack to a Pak Rat backpack.

4. A knapsack as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said openings in the external sides and in the pockets mounted on said external sides are each held closed by a suitable zipper means.

5. A flexible knapsack devoid of a rigid framework adapted to be attached to shoulder worn substantially rigid backpacks comprising two free-standing crescent shaped sacks having a longitudinal opening in the outer portion thereof connected lengthwise at their rear edges and both terminating to the front in an edge containing a plurality of eyelets, a thong for lacing through the eyelets in order to hold the front edges in close confronting relationship while permitting relative movement therebetween and their rear edges and force the aforesaid sacks in tight adherence to a bedroll when carried therebetween and a plurality of straps placed on the back of the two sacks for attaching to a suitable backpack.

6. A knapsack as claimed in claim 5 wherein the crescent shaped sacks each have a pocket mounted on the outside thereof and both the longitudinal opening in the References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 635,069 10/1899 Ang'evin'e 2 24 5.24 2,197,427 4/1940 Despain 24 s 2,296,080 9/1942 Arrowood 190-43 FOREIGN PATENTS 437,876 11/1935 Great Britain.

63,576 6/1941 Norway.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

20 MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner. 

1. A FLEXIBLE KNAPSACK DEVOID OF A RIGID FRAMEWORK AND ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO SHOULDER WORN SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID BACKPACKS COMPRISING, TWO PAIRS OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SIDES JOINED LENGTHWISE AT THEIR FRONT AND REAR EDGES, THE EXTERNAL SIDES FOLDED OVER AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE KNAPSACK AND THENCE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNAL SIDES THUS FORMING TWO SEPARATE SACKS JOINED AT THEIR REAR EDGES AND BOTH SACKS TERMINATING IN A FRONT EDGE CONTAINING A MULTITUDE OF EYELETS, SAID SACKS EACH HAVING A CLOSABLE OPENING THEREIN, A THONG FOR LACING THROUGH THE EYELETS IN THE FRONT EDGES OF THE SAID SACKS IN ORDER TO SECURE THE FRONT EDGES OF THE TWO SACKS STATIONARY ONE WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER WHEN LOADED WHILE PERMITTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES THEREOF AND 